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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · bowl · branch · ground · firm · pitcher · charge · bank

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — a company
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — a group
  15. charge — a price
  16. firm — steady
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — in control
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ground — the earth
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — decided

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com